Sydney went into lockdown, I ended up being very sleepy thanks to the changing medication regime, and I produced a podcast — all part of my week of Monday 28 June to Sunday 4 July 2021. There were also magpies.
Podcasts
- The 9pm Four-Phase Year Two Custard Duck, recorded on Saturday. No special guest this time, but I had a few interesting rants and made a confession concerning cluster bombs.
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Articles, Videos, Media Appearances, Corporate Largesse
None. But you can read my previous writing at Authory, where you can also subscribe to get a compilation of new stories by email each Sunday morning, when there are some.
Recommendations
- There’s An Entire ‘Cave Community’ Living In Sydney’s Abandoned Water Tunnels, and here’s some photos.
- K-drama takes a dark turn: How K-pop and K-culture pose a threat to Kim Jong-un’s rule, a fascinating piece from the Lowy Institute. “North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un has raged against the cultural influence of South Korea, calling K-pop a ‘vicious cancer’ permeating North Korean society.â€
- How Rumsfeld Deserves to Be Remembered. “America’s worst secretary of defense never expressed a quiver of regret,” is apparently the way.
- Amazing creativity – Amazing modern technology in 2022, a fun video from China demonstrating true innovation in public safety.
- Excited for You to See and Hate This, a stand-up show by Frankie Boyle from 2019. It was recorded in Glasgow in the Beforetimes and boy how things have changed in the last two years.
- The art of asking nicely, a fascinating article providing some tips for persuading AI-based image generating tools like the Generative Engine to create more attractive images.
The Week Ahead
It’s the second of two COVID-19 lockdown weeks for Greater Sydney. At least in theory there will only be two. My gut feeling is that there will be a few more to come.
My main goals for the week are to clarify how the hell I’ll increase my revenue in this new financial year, given that I’ve been struggling a bit lately, and get back into the flow of writing for ZDNet. I’ll also lock in some podcast dates.
Perihelion is on Tuesday morning at 0827 AEST, and then we’ll be heading back towards the Sun. You can check the time for your own location at this Perihelion and Aphelion page.
On Thursday morning I’ll watch In-Conversation with Will Cathcart, Head of WhatsApp, a discussion from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.
Thursday night there’s a bonus episode of The 8pm Quiz, livestreamed on YouTube from 8pm AEST.
Further Ahead
Still not a lot in the calendar, but I don’t think this will change any time soon.
- I’ll make a cautious trip to Sydney for health-related appointments on 12 July 2021.
- Exfiltrate, encrypt, extort: The global rise of ransomware & Australia’s policy options, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, online, 13 July 2021.
- Second COVID-19 vaccination, Sydney, 2 August 2021.
- Australia’s 2021 Census, 10 August 2021.
- Australian Cyber Conference, Melbourne, 15–17 November 2021 (TBC).
[Photo: An Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen tibicen) having breakfast at Bunjaree Cottages on 29 June 2021.]